Monday, September 3, 2012

My Culture

As school is once again about to start, I find myself thinking today about a course that I developed and taught with the goal of helping educators understand and appreciate the significance of the culture that their kids bring to their classrooms.

Because culture is often hidden or hard to notice, I often
feel that not everyone 'gets' this concept - what is culture? Its a big
thing - and to clarify my thoughts, I offer this description of my
own cultural roots.

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I grew surrounded by women who believed in the
power and necessity of feeding people. Cooking was not only a daily
task, a way to celebrate holidays and mark the Sabbath, but a
competition. The women in my world really cared who made the best
chicken soup, whose apple pie was the most delicious, and whose food was
made only with the ‘finest and best’ ingredients. Refusing food in any
home caused deep offense.

I grew up among people whose basic
forms of communication included yelling, broad gestures, and at least
two languages in the house. And almost every adult I knew spoke with an
accent.

I grew up among three generations, where caring for our
grandparents was a part of every day. I grew up seeing disabilities – my
father was deaf, my grandmother partially paralyzed by a stroke; my upstairs
neighbor was in a wheelchair. I grew up understanding that war did
terrible things to people, and that life was not easy. I also grew up
believing that kids were mean, and you better know how to defend
yourself.

I grew up in an apartment building surrounded by people
from different countries, religions and backgrounds. I grew up among
survivors, (of war, loss, depression and family.) I grew up
understanding that the people I knew all came from somewhere else –
whether a different country, neighborhood, religion, economic status or
set of values, I grew up aware that not everyone believed or behaved the
way my family did. I also grew up knowing that neighbors looked out for
each other and cared for one another.

I grew up in the city, on
paved streets that scraped your knees if you fell while running or
playing ball. I grew up thinking that plants were something that grew on
window sills (fire escapes when the weather was warm). Trees grew in
the park; bushes were what lined the entries to buildings. Flowers were a
gift on your parent’s anniversary, and that food came from stores.

I
grew up believing that education was not a choice, that college was an
expectation, that my behavior, in school, in the neighborhood and at
home was a reflection of my family, and I undersood that pride and shame
were two sides of the same coin. I grew up wearing my best clothes for
holidays, especially the beautiful hand made coats and hand knit
sweaters that showed the talent and the caring that went into their
making.

I grew up with a sister to fight with, play with, and
find solace with. I grew up knowing that fathers work, and take care of
us, and mothers stay home and take care of us. But, I grew up with the
message that I could grow up to be and do anything I wanted – as long as
I behaved myself, and went to school.

I grew up surrounded by
art, books, theatre and culture, and the taste and smells of foods from
around the world – the upside of a city childhood.

All of this –
the richness, the sharp edges, the people, the food, the languages, the
terrifying moments and the wonderful ones, shaped who I am, the work I
do, the life I lead and the family I have raised.

The more I
learn about culture, and the more I write and teach about it, the more I
understand its impact. When we work with kids, when we seek to be
culturally competent, in classrooms and programs, we are working not
only with the present, but with a past, and with beliefs and behaviors
that may span generations and color every interaction, every day.

About the Blog

I believe in the power of creativity ... for everyone.

So, I paint, write, draw and print and ... I teach. My art students range in age from 5 to 101 (!).

For me, the process of dreaming up fabulous art projects for my students inspires my most creative ideas. This results in new work, new learning and new techniques for me which in turn, enrich my classes.

This blog is a way for me to share my work, my experiences in the classroom and studio, and the challenges and joy all of this creates.